6 Hours of Shanghai: Heartbreak for Toyota and GTE Am leader

It was full on action for the last 90-minutes of the 6 Hours of Shanghai with the leading Toyota TS030 of Anthony Davidson having to pit with smoke pouring from underneath his car. 

The nr8 car was quickly pushed back into the garage and this promoted the nr1 Audi of Benoit Treluyer into the lead.  However the Audi was also in the pits on the next lap, the mechanics fighting to remove a large piece of debris from underneath the R18 e-tron quattro.  This allowed Nicolas Lapierre to retake the lead in the nr7 Toyota TS030 1 lap ahead of both Audis, with Treluyer ahead of Kristensen in the nr2 Audi.

Anthony Davidson commented:  “The problem was something in the suspension which broke on the way down to T6, under braking.  The car seemed to develop a mind of its own and I was a passenger.  I could feel that there was something wrong with the car and thought at first it might be a puncture.  The guys did a really good job this weekend and we are now all behind the No.7 which is on maximum attack.”

The battle in the LMP2 class between the nr26 G-Drive Racing Oreca and the nr24 Oak Morgan continued unabated, with the two cars trading places at the top of the class.  At the end of the 90-minute period it was the nr24 Oak Morgan of David Heinemeier Hansson which was just ahead of the nr26 G-Drive Oreca of Roman Rusinov but the Russian was closing the gap once again.  The Le Mans winning nr35 Oak Morgan of Ricardo Gonzalez was just ahead of the nr25 Delta-ADR Oreca of Craig Dolby.

LMGTE Pro and Am report

In the second half of the race there has been heartbreak for the leading LMGTE Am car, the No.95 Aston Martin Vantage V8 which ground to a halt on the track with Kristian Poulsen at the wheel.  The Danish trio of Thiim-Nygaard-Poulsen had led the category since the start and were looking in a strong position for victory so the result is very disappointing for them.

In the LMGTE Pro class, however, it is still Aston Martin at the head of the time sheets with just 90 minutes of the race left to run.  Darren Turner remains at the wheel of the No.97 ahead of his team mate in the No.99, Bruno Senna, by almost half a minute.  In third and fourth places in the class are the two AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italias – 71 and 51 respectively – followed by the No.91 and 92 Porsches.  The Pro category has settled into something of a rhythm, with no changes in position in the last 90 minutes.

The No.81 8Star Motorsports Ferrari of Enzo Potolicchio, Davide Rigon and Rui Aguas has claimed the LMGTE Am lead relinquished by the Aston Martin, and has a lap in hand over the No.76 IMSA Matmut Porsche of Jean-Karl Vernay, Raymond Narac and Markus Palttala.  The No.50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 of Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal and Fernando Rees has moved up into third place in class and has a lap advantage over the No.96 Aston Martin Vantage.

Full results can be found HERE

15:32:19 Leading Toyota #8 has problem with suspension and enters pits

15:25:13 No.24 Oak Morgan retakes lead in LM P2

15:20:10 Tyre problem for No.7 caused early stop

15:18:43 No.7 Toyota back into pit - No.1 Audi into 2nd place

15:13:36 No.57 Krohn Ferrari pushed into pit box

15:10:03 No.26 Oreca retakes lead in LM P2

15:08:30 No.8 Toyota retakes lead after No.7 stopped

15:06:44 No.31 Lotus now an official retirement - Engine

15:05:53 Leading No.7 Toyota into pits

15:05:02 No.71 Ferrari pits No.97 Aston retakes lead in GTE Pro

15:00:27 No.99 Aston pits - No.71 Ferrari leads GTE Pro

14:59:29 No.2 Audi makes scheduled stop. Fuel and tyres, Kristensen stays in.

14:58:39 No.97 Aston GTE Pro leader into pit - Turner now in car - No.99 Aston takes lead

14:53:45 Leading No.8 Toyota makes scheduled stop. Driver change Sarrazin out Davidson in

14:52:04 Leader No.8 into pits No.7 retakes lead

14:50:30 Astroturf now recovered from track

14:50:06  No.1 Audi attempting to un-lap itself from No.7 Toyota

14:46:28 Poulsen out of No.95, retirement for Young Driver Aston 

14:45:22 No.1 Audi makes scheduled stop

14:43:07 No.81 Ferrari leads GTE Am

14:42:06 GTE Am leader Aston No.95 Stopped on circuit - yellow flags

14:39:28 Turn 16 astroturf on racing line

14:34:53 Local yellow between T6 and T7 for retrival of astroturf from track.

14:34:14 No.49 Pecom car spent over 2h20 in pits 

14:33:06 No.50 Larbre Corvette takes 4th in LM GTE Am

14:31:31 No.49 Pecom about to rejoin after long pit garage visit - 80 laps behind leader

14:29:25 No.24 Oak retakes lead of LM P2

14:28:33 Work still going on No.31 Lotus - engine problem 

14:27:47 LM P2 leader No.26 into pit for more attention to rear bodywork

14:25:12 Lapierre in No.7 Toyota is closing on leading No.8 of Sarrazin who has hit traffic

14:21:26 No.26 retakes lead in LM P2 from No.24

14:16:31 Leading Toyota No.7 into pits - No.8 takes lead

14:12:52 Fastest race lap for Treluyer with 1:49.066

14:10:49 Tom Kristensen into No.2 Audi

14:10:18 No.97 Aston back into lead of GTE Pro after No.71 pitstop

14:05:29 No.71 Ferrari takes lead in GTE Pro

14:03:45 Sarrazin gets into No.8 - No.7 Toyota now leads

14:02:32 Leader No.8 has slow puncture